Flight crew of air carrier light transport overshot altitude in climb.

Attributes
ACN	122702
Time
Date	198909
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dbq
State Reference	IA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dbq
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute airway : v100
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 3700 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	122702
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Normally the first officer takes the clearance but he was busy receiving weight and balance changes over company frequency. I told ground to 'go ahead.' ground read clearance. The controller responded with 'readback correct.' a couple of mins prior to our release time tower called and cleared us for takeoff. The clearance caught my first officer off guard who asked the tower to repeat the clearance: 'air carrier cleared for takeoff on runway 31 right turn on course.' the takeoff in this particular aircraft lasts through 2000' AGL at which time the first officer called for climb power, climb checks. The climb checks were complete at 3000' MSL. At this point I ask the first officer what altitude he was going to. Unsatisfied with his response, I called dbq tower asking to go to departure frequency, hoping that we were still under the initial altitude and that departure would issue that altitude. I reached chicago center out of 3800', and they said that I should have been at 3000'. I was later told that sep had been violated.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF ACR LTT OVERSHOT ALT IN CLIMB.

Narrative: NORMALLY THE F/O TAKES THE CLRNC BUT HE WAS BUSY RECEIVING WT AND BAL CHANGES OVER COMPANY FREQ. I TOLD GND TO 'GO AHEAD.' GND READ CLRNC. THE CTLR RESPONDED WITH 'READBACK CORRECT.' A COUPLE OF MINS PRIOR TO OUR RELEASE TIME TWR CALLED AND CLRED US FOR TKOF. THE CLRNC CAUGHT MY F/O OFF GUARD WHO ASKED THE TWR TO REPEAT THE CLRNC: 'ACR CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 31 RIGHT TURN ON COURSE.' THE TKOF IN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT LASTS THROUGH 2000' AGL AT WHICH TIME THE F/O CALLED FOR CLB PWR, CLB CHKS. THE CLB CHKS WERE COMPLETE AT 3000' MSL. AT THIS POINT I ASK THE F/O WHAT ALT HE WAS GOING TO. UNSATISFIED WITH HIS RESPONSE, I CALLED DBQ TWR ASKING TO GO TO DEP FREQ, HOPING THAT WE WERE STILL UNDER THE INITIAL ALT AND THAT DEP WOULD ISSUE THAT ALT. I REACHED CHICAGO CENTER OUT OF 3800', AND THEY SAID THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT 3000'. I WAS LATER TOLD THAT SEP HAD BEEN VIOLATED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.